My Handcrafted Wooden Hat Collection
Each hat in this collection is a unique piece of wearable art, meticulously crafted from various hardwoods. Explore the designs, the stories behind them, and the precision that goes into every detail.
These hats use a scrollsaw. This only uses 2 pounds of wood. The scrollsaw "board to bowl" technique is used. The hats matched the clients heads by getting a sketch of the head contour. All hats have leather headliners.
My second hat included a small design improvement from the first: additional room around the temples for natural movement while chewing. I found the result noticeably more comfortable during meals
No two heads are exactly alike. Everyone has their own bumps, curves, and shapes. Each hat is custom-fitted to the client's head using a simple contour tracing that can be done remotely by email.
I've been wearing my Maple and Black Walnut hats daily since 2022. I deliberately left both hats in vehicles in the Mojave Desert when outdoor temperatures reached 110°F. I also wore the Black Walnut hat in the rain for two days. Both hats are still in daily use today.
Please see the how-to article.
Sequoia Pair
This is old-growth Sequoia wood 1700 years old. This pair is father son matching hats.
They gave me the artwork for the topper, showing son-father sequoia trees.
Black Wenge
This hat is not stained black. Wenge is naturally black. The Arm-R-Seal protective finish creates a great gloss finish. This customer chose the letters to be placed on top.
Wenge is very hard and strong. This flat brim hat resembles some good guys in some western movies. Also would look good on performing musicians.
Canarywood Cowgirl Hat
Custom-made for a woman client, this vibrant hat is crafted from beautiful Canarywood. It's a testament to personalized design, starting as a scrollsaw bowl carefully shaped to fit the buyer. The creation process involves cutting and stacking numerous 1/8-inch rings.
This particular hat, my fourth, features two pieces of canary wood glued together, which created a unique seam. It's finished with two coats of Arm-R-Seal for durability, and the interior is sanded for comfort, prepared for a headliner or sweatband. It even bears a small repaired crack—a "battle wound"—highlighting the challenges and triumphs in working with natural materials.
Padauk Wooden Cowboy Hat with Bear Carving
This striking color hat is crafted from beautiful Padauk wood, known for its rich, reddish-brown color and durable qualities.
The intricate bear carving (chosen by the client) on the crown adds the unique artistic touch.
Red Oak Cowboy Hat
This unique cowboy hat is crafted from sturdy Red Oak. The client chose the "ahm" ("om", "ohm") symbol for the top of the hat. The symbol "ahm" represents being in touch with the earth. He also chose to keep the brim flat. The flat brim looks good on him.
Plain Top Dark Wood Hat
This elegant hat, crafted from a rich black walnut, showcases the natural beauty of the material without additional carvings on the crown. Commissioned by a client who desired a clean, unadorned top, this design emphasizes the striking grain of the wood and the meticulous craftsmanship. Its smooth finish across the crown and brim highlights the inherent aesthetics of the timber, creating a piece of refined simplicity.
Light Wood Hat with Maple leaf Carving
This hat is made from maple, and is topped with a maple leaf. The hat band is lasered wood. This is my first hat, made in 2022.
Dark Walnut Hat
A striking piece crafted from rich, dark walnut, this hat stands out with its intricate lasered wood band around the base of the crown. The topper is a wolf howling on top of a mountain cliff.